International Skills Partnerships

Impact Study Guidelines

These guidelines should be used when designing the Impact Study and completing the Impact Study form. They provide guidance on completing each section of the proposal form.

The impact study should be conducted in both the UK and the partner country and provide a snapshot of the current position as regards the core issues that the partnership project has addressed.

The impact study will be comparing the final data against the data collected in the original Benchmark report.

The information in the impact study will be analysed against the information provided in the initial benchmarking report to measure progress and impact at the close of the project.

As stated in the initial benchmarking guidelines all activities and impact should relate to the four levels detailed below.

Throughout the partnership project all activities and impact should relate to the four levels and seven outcomes of the British Council’s skills programme:

Level 1 (Engagement)

Outcome 1: Active network of local and global employers, employer representative organisations and other skills stakeholders established

Level 2 ( Learning)

Outcome 2: Improved knowledge and understanding of effective approaches to skills development

Outcome 3: Young people better prepared for the world of work and enterprise

Outcome 4: Increased understanding and recognition of the benefits of working internationally and how to do this effectively

Level 3 ( Application and implementation)

Outcome 5: New approaches to skills development implemented at institution/organisation level

Level 4 ( Systematic/Legacy Impact)

Outcome 6: Policy changes and/or new approaches to skills development implemented at national and/or system level

Outcome 7: Higher quality skills development that meets industry needs

1. Organisations

This section asks for the contact details of the lead partner in both country. Each lead partner is responsible for conducting the benchmarking study in their own country.

2. Methodology

This section should set out how the impact study was designed and conducted in the UK and the partner country. It should include the following:

Details on sample sizes (recommended minimum of 50 respondents from relevant target groups against each indicator).
The profiles of the participants from the study (including age, gender, occupation etc.)
The process, people and time involved in gathering and processing data.

Please turn over

3. Quantitative data

This section should set out the quantitative data gathered in the impact study in a similar format to the benchmarking study, analysing the same indicators. The results should be set out clearly, a sample table has been provided below. The table should clearly show any change in figures between the two studies.

Current confidence rates of students as regards their employability skills (per cent)

Very confident / Quite confident / Neutral / Quite unconfident / Very unconfident
Impact report / Change (+/-) / Impact report / Change (+/-) / Impact report / Change (+/-) / Impact report / Change (+/-) / Impact report / Change (+/-)
Overseas country – 17-18 year olds / 12 / +4 / 16 / +4 / 22 / =2 / 22 / -3 / 28 / -3
Overseas country – 19-20 year olds / 14 / +3 / 17 / +5 / 49 / +1 / 15 / -5 / 5 / -7
UK – 17-18 year olds / 13 / 0 / 19 / +7 / 20 / +1 / 20 / -8 / 28 / -4
UK – 19-20 year olds / 16 / -2 / 19 / -1 / 45 / +3 / 9 / -2 / 11 / -3
Overseas Country mean / 13 / +1 / 17 / +3 / 36 / +2 / 19 / -3 / 17 / -2
UK mean / 15 / +5 / 19 / -2 / 33 / +1 / 15 / -1 / 9 / 0
17-18 year olds mean / 13 / -2 / 18 / +4 / 21 / +1 / 21 / -2 / 28 / -1
19-20 year olds mean / 15 / -2 / 18 / +4 / 47 / 0 / 12 / -1 / 8 / -1
Overall Mean / 14 / -2 / 18 / +3 / 34 / 0 / 17 / 0 / 18 / 2

*Please note of the figures above are accurate or representative.

4. Qualitative data

This section should set out qualitative data gathered in the benchmarking study that relates to the same indicators analysed above. The qualitative data should provide commentary from the relevant target groups that cast light on the issues that the indicators relate to and, by extension, on the core objectives of the project. A recommended minimum of 15 respondents, constituting a representative sample of the target groups, should be included in this section.

Utilising the example in the previous section, qualitative data might include eliciting students’ views on why their confidence levels are at the current rating and what factors might change to improve the level.

5. Data analysis

This section should provide commentary on the key findings of the benchmarking study, and the implications for the project of these findings. It should also provide indicative targets of the progress that the project will make by completion of the project against the relevant indicators. (Recommended minimum of four findings.)

Again, utilising the example, one key finding might be the poor levels of confidence in the 16-17 age group as regards their employability skills; an implication for the project that this group should be a key focus of the project’s work; and an indicative target that the figures in the bottom two categories (quite unconfident and very unconfident) will be reduced by at least 15 per cent in each of these two categories for both the UK and the partner country by the time of the impact study.

6. Signatures

This section requires the signature of the Principal/CEO of the applicant institution.

The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.